In 2013, w/purpose was commissioned by Keep Indianapolis Beautiful to work alongside local partners who were motivated to transform a vacant property on the West side of Indianapolis. A vacant property was awarded as one of KIB’s Project Green Space Grant. The creation of Purpose Park grew from a pure commitment around a collective space that binds people together, serves local needs, networks residents, and constructs what author Villa Raul Homero calls, “symbolic spatial practices” or local events, parades, and activities that promote assembly.

For most American communities, including Hawthorne and Haughville, the celebration of its arts and cultural assets typically did not take place in formal architectural spaces, rather in appropriated public environments such as parks, plazas, markets, and streets, where families celebrated the traditional practices of food, dance, sports, or music. With Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, area residents and w/purpose imagined a different landscape on North Holmes.

A place where children could play, be fed, and learn lessons that build character. You can imagine the surprise and joy of local Near West residents when they received a letter from the Indianapolis City Council to acknowledge and pass Special Resolution on behalf of Purpose Park. Today, native flowers and fruit trees grace the landscape, along with a casita for community performances, and vibrant public art in the form of a bright yellow, 1964 Pontiac Bonneville planted into the ground.